I am sure I am not the only person waiting for the water to go down on the guad, so for the folks who know the river and that part of the country,when is it going to be fishable? will the larger trout that GRTU stocks make it into the spring? are trout still alive during the summer months?I just read the new TU mag. which featured the guad. but these questions were missed.I know it all depends on rain fall right?
thanks guys,
kirk

kirkw,

Go and read over on this web site:

http://www.grtu.org/

It should answer most of your concern's and questions. By the way the FLOWS link has ton's of info regarding flow rates.

To help save you some time here are some of the highlight's in order to answer your ?'s:

1.) When will it be fishable?:
That depends on the Experience, Knowledge and Judgement of the individual and the Risk that person is willing to assume. The general guideines apply:

Flows above 550 cfs are unsafe to wade.

Flows between 300 to 550 cfs should be undertaken by only those who have experience wading swift water conditions. Preferrably, you will have knowledge of the river bottom and would have waded the area previously. Much of the river will still be too swift and too deep to wade safely. The potential for being swept off your feet is high.

Flows between 200 to 300 cfs can be undertaken by most experienced waders. There are still areas that may be too swift or deep to wade. Inexperienced waders will have to be aware.

Flows below 200 cfs have moderate current. A few areas may create fall down potential.

Flows below 100 cfs have slow current.

Remember the Guadalupe is a fast flowing river. A fast current can carry you away like a fly in molasses.

2.) When is it going to be fishable?:

The most significant predictor for flows below Canyon Dam is the lake elevation of Canyon Lake itself. Using the Canyon Lake Elevation link you can retrieve 'real time' lake elevations. If Canyon Lake elevation is:

908.9 and below, the lake is in conservation pool. Releases are low.
909.0 the release rate will match the greater: Spring Branch Gage, or 90 cfs.
909.1 and above, the lake is in flood, heavy releases are imminent.

3.) Will the larger trout survive?:

YES

On January 1, Canyon Lake exceeded 909 elevation which means that trout protective flows will commence on May 1 for the entire period through September 30th. This is vitally important to the trout fishery, and will create trout fishing and water recreational opportunities throughout the summer.

not to sound like a smart fanny here but in other words nobody knows when the water is going down.
I have been over the grtu page dozens of times but it still does not say much to me.the term "trout protective flows" means that the river will not be bone dry, but it does not say that the trout put in the river before the flows jumped up to 17,000+ cfs will still be around.
I guess I should have stated my Q's differantly.again I am not trying to tick anybody off.I am a member off grtu and those guys give me the same company line which reads smartly in print but does not mean much to me,sorry it must be my south georgia upbringing shining through.
kirk

I also don't want to sound like a smart arse, but those guys cant tell you because there are so many variables. They can't tell when it is going to rain, where it is going to rain, how saturated the ground already is where it rains next.

The other problem they have is if they tell you that its fine, it rains overnight in Waring (where they got four feet of rain in 7 days back in '02(http://www.gbra.org/files/pdf/hzap/section06.pdf, page 13), you go fish at the third crossing, they open two gates at noon when the water gets down there, and you get swept, they could be liable.

I know it sucks to not know, but they just can't tell what nature's going to do.

Here is a current fishing report for the guad.

http://www.guadalupetrout.com/fishing_report.html

Flows currently at 800 cfs, YES swift water, however I have fished at this flow rate and caught fish. Don't blame me if you get wet and go for a ride down river.

Go find a wide area in the river, DO NOT step off the bank more than 2 feet. Wear your wading belt. You want to stay in water no higher than your knees. Use long leader's (9ft will do fine), use Bead Head fly's and put some squeeze weight (split shot) on your leader. You want to get that fly down deep - on the bottom. The trout will be on the bottom. And yes you can cast with split shot on your leader.

If it does NOT rain in the water shed area of the Gaudalupe (up river of Canyon Lake), there is hope. Current lake level at Canyon is 909.04, yesterday at this time it was at 909.06. So it has come down a bit. With that said, once Canyon hits an elevation of 909.0 then the out flow at the dam will match the inflow rate of the Gaudalupe above Canyon lake at Spring Branch. Which currently is at 625cfs. Hope this helps a bit. Just keep monitoring the lake level and flows at Spring Branch and Sattler(down river from the dam). You might have flows at 625cfs at the start of next week.

Isn't it suppose to rain again this weekend? I guess there is always the White Bass run!